Shadowlands
by Naomi Shihoin
Summary: Red chooses not to become a Pokémon Master, but a Pokémon Ranger and Leaf follows faithfully, wanting the same destiny. Green makes a foolish mistake and is taken by Sakaki's forces. And in the depths of TR's ruthless takeover, Professor Oak slips the seeds of rebellion into three trainer's hands: Pokémon and a Pokédex. FRLG/Shadows of Almia crossover.


**A/N**: Allow me to give you an introduction to the project before we officially get started. Red and Green's personalities are going to be based off of my interpretations of them from having watched Pokémon the Origin. Leaf will be herself, as will Keith, Kate and Rythmi.

Just for those who don't have the Pokémon Ranger games and are having difficulty following the separate storylines I made, I am working on a complete retelling of Pokémon FR/LG with characters from the Pokémon Ranger series: Ranger itself, Shadows of Almia and Guardian Signs. This is a WIP.

There will be a sequel. This was originally called Dying of the Light.

**Pairings**:

[Red, Leaf]. (BurningLeafshipping).

[Keith, Kate]. (Vatonageshipping).

[Isaac, Rythmi]. (Measureshipping).

[Matt, Sierra]. (GeniusDragonTamershipping). _Made this one up_.

**Characters**: Green, Red, Leaf, Domino, Silver, Giovanni, Archer, Ariana, Proton, Petrel, Professor Oak, Lance, Ranger characters, Ben, Summer and other Guardian Signs characters, Keith, Kate, Rythmi and other Shadows of Almia characters and Matt, Sierra and Jack (OCs).

**Warning**: Incidents of strong language. Pokémon torture, abuse and neglect. Deaths. Heavy AU. Heavy speculation and needless fusion of real and Pokémon world histories.

...

_**Shadowlands**_

_**Prologue**_

_2002..._

Like the rest of their ill-conceived ventures, this one had Green written all over it.

The trio crept in through the window at noon, which seemed to be the generally agreed upon time for the researchers' housewives to call for lunch. Green's grandfather was also gone. Despite the fact that he has been a widower for over a decade and had developed the habit of skipping meals to squint at data in the hopes of finding some kind of pattern there, Green's older sister's insistence at playing the mother figure ensured that the older man would go home for lunch.

Their shoes, dirty from the half hour they'd spent hiding in the bushes, tracked mud onto the previously pristine white floors. Being little boys, Green and Red don't pay any attention to the mess; being the best friend of two little boys, Leaf smothered her natural instinct to reprimand them and restrained herself to wrinkling her nose at them behind their backs distastefully.

Leaf had spent the greater part of the morning trying to convince her friends not to go through with the stupid plan. Much to her dismay, threatening not to play with them and tell on them didn't work, perhaps because both boys knew she was no tattle-tale. In truth, she would rather get into trouble with them than be stuck in her pink room filled with oppressive frilly dresses and a mother eager to relive her contest days vicariously through her tomboyish seven-year-old.

Of the three, who were all the same age, Green was the only one without any misgivings. Instead, he was possessed by insatiable curiosity and a deep-rooted desire to prove himself to his grandfather. Red, though noticeably hesitant about the matter, had been convinced by his best friend's tales of fiery salamanders with yellow chests. This seemed to overrule the stern voice of his mother echoing in his head.

Glancing around the lab furtively, Green walked towards his grandfather's desk, eyes locked on the glinting spheres that rested next to a stack of half-read reports and a mug filled with cold coffee. Red and Leaf followed with considerably less determination.

Inhaling deeply, Green reached a little hand out to grab one of them —

"Are you _sure_ this is a good idea?" Leaf blurted, unable to restrain herself any longer. "Stealing is _wrong_, Green."

His efforts frustrated, Green spun on his heel and crossed his arms over his chest, huffing and glaring at her venomously. "I already told you that it isn't stealing 'cause they're my gramps', stupid. I'm not stealing from family."

"Yes, you are!" Leaf protested. "'Specially since your grandfather told you not to take them when you asked if you could."

Green could not counter this but, with Red's eyes darting between him and Leaf anxiously, he would not back down. He forced his body to relax into an uncaring position, let his lips twist into a smirk. Already, he was learning the value of feigning confidence, of acting like he didn't care when he actually does. "Whatever, Leaf," he remarked with a small shrug. "I should've known that you were too scared... being a _girl_ and all."

The mockery has its intended effect. Leaf's face flushed with irritation and her hands curled into angry fists. "You - you," she spat, shaking a little from indignation.

"If you're too much of a _girl_ to do this with us," he continued, "then you should just leave." He turned his gaze to Red and smirked at him. "Right, Red?"

Red tore his eyes away from Leaf and focused on Green. "Don't be mean..." he murmured, defending Leaf. Green frowned, unsatisfied with the answer.

In time, Green will learn that he shouldn't phrase such things as questions because doing so always ends up giving the other person more power than he ever intended. In time, he will be taught to give orders instead of ask questions; will learn to command respect and compliance with every movement.

But right now, Green is just a little boy who misses his father and mother more than he'll ever admit, who wants his grandfather's attention more than he thinks he should. Green needs Red as his captive audience too much to be the bully he'll yet become, so all he can do is act like he doesn't care if Red wimps out on him when, in reality, he hates every second Red spends looking between the two of them, considering silently.

"Whatever!" Leaf shouted, breaking the tense standoff. "See if I care when the two of you get in trouble!" With that, she stomped back towards the window, climbing onto one of the lab's office chairs to reach the ledge.

"You're not gonna tell, are you?" Green called over the heady feeling of victory that was making his ears thrum pleasantly.

Halfway through the threshold, Leaf's skinny legs hung precariously over the edge. Her fingers, slightly pudgy with youth, tighten on the ledge to keep from falling forward. "I'm not a tattle-tale," Leaf bit out before pushing herself off into the bushes. She did not look back.

It wasn't a 'no', but it was enough to make the feeling intensify, make Green feel lighter than air as he smirked at Red in cocky satisfaction.

"You didn't have to be so mean," Red murmured resentfully, crimson eyes dulling guiltily.

Green just rolled his eyes and commented: "You can go, too, if you're gonna be a _girl_ about it."

Red bit his bottom lip and decided to sacrifice ever being a Pokémon trainer - no, _Master_. He would look for some other responsibility involving Pokémon. The young boy climbed the chair and exited out of the window.

That would be the last time Red or Leaf ever saw Green.

Turning on his heel eagerly, Green's forest green eyes rested hungrily on the red and white spheres - _Poké Balls_ - once more.

Green reached out, fingers brushing against the cool metal, tracing the black line that ran along its circumference and the button-like circle at its centre. This was the stuff of his dreams and Green took a moment to imagine himself as a trainer, travelling the world, challenging the Gyms and becoming Champion, strong and famous and invincible. This was definitely not the first time he had given himself over to such daydreams, but they had never felt more real than they do now, with his fingers resting against an actual Poké Ball.

Picking up the Ball that he knows contained Squirtle, Green made his decision after a quick look at the digital clock on his grandfather's desk. "So Squirtle," he started without taking his eyes off the sphere, licking his chapped lips hurriedly, "let's go out to the forest and play."

...

There's a storm brewing in the distance, dark clouds rolling in from the north, black and ominous. With each passing minute, they blot out the sunlight more and more, leaving the world in shadows.

But Leaf was a big girl, so she's not afraid of storms.

There was a time not too long ago when she was, when she hid under her princess-pink bed covers at the sound of thunder cracking in the distance, of the rain and wind raging against her windowpane. But that was before she met Green and Red and realized that in order to be friends with them she needed to be braver than they were (or pretended to be).

So Leaf stared out the window, waiting for the boys to come looking for her, to tell her stories of how _cool_ it was to meet real live Pokémon and how badly she missed out.

She ended up waiting for hours, until the thunder roared and the rain battered the glass, until it seemed like there's no trace of sunlight left in the whole wide world.

And when there was finally a knock on the door, it turned out to be Green's sister and Red and his mother. All are frantic-eyed and soaked to the bone.

The last image she had of them - Green's victorious smirk, Red's apologetically guilty look - forever etched into her memory, impossible to forget. She was grateful Red had somehow seen sense, but was also worried.

Green was missing.

...

Green screwed his eyes shut against the rush of helpless tears.

He suddenly wanted to go home, wanted his sister and grandfather and father and mother so, so badly.

At least when the first tears pushed their way through his eyelids, he could blame it on the rain.

...

The townspeople organized a search party to look for Green after Daisy and Red and his mother had managed to pry out all the information from Leaf and Professor Oak had confirmed that one of his Pokémon was missing. One of the Oaks' neighbours owned an Arcanine and, using its keen sense of smell, they were hoping to find the Oak heir before the downpour washed away his scent.

So three hours after Green made his way into the forest, the party began searching the surrounding fields. After scouring them for an hour, plagued by the poor visibility and the Arcanine's natural aversion to the water buffeting them from all directions, the search party would make their way into the forest.

By that time, it was already far too late.

...

Green was dozing fitfully, shivering violently due to how wet he had become. _Hypothermia_, the thought just managed to successfully enter his mind. He was sure he was getting the beginnings of a cold, too. Squirtle's Poké Ball he kept safe in his shirt pocket. It was while he was barely asleep that a figure loomed over him. His eyes bolted open and he got out a strangled cry that was muffled by whatever was over his mouth before the world turned black.

...

From the moment Red got home, he started wondering if the life of a Pokémon Ranger would be better for him. And Leaf if she wanted to come. It was a Ranger's job to save and protect Pokémon and, as far as Red knew, the Rangers of Almia were exceptionally good at their responsibilities.

He had a talk with his mother after the search was called off due to the rescuers being unable to locate Green's trail and was surprised to learn that the loss of Green affected her to the point where she did not want to stay in Kanto any longer.

Green would have been Red's brother if she had married Green's father, after all. Red reflected briefly on this and made up his mind, about to call Leaf. However, Red's mother was already letting the girl and her mother into their house.

Leaf was a known empath to Red and he thought he had been hiding his emotions quite well. Apparently not well enough for Leaf to make them out and beg her mother to join Red in Almia as a Ranger.

Leaf's mother had agreed, which was why they had come over to Red's house, to say they would go with them. The decision was made: Red, Leaf and their mothers were leaving for Almia in the morning on the Inter-Regional plane.


End file.
